Various types of vehicle-mounted bicycle carriers are known that enable a bicycle to be transported on a vehicle. Fork mount bicycle carriers typically have a rear wheel support and require the user to disengage the front wheel of the bicycle using a conventional quick release mechanism associated with the hub of the bicycle wheel. While these types of bicycle carriers provide secure and stable engagement of the bicycle with the carrier, the requirement to remove the front wheel of the bicycle entails time and effort which is inconvenient to the bicycle user. Typical hitch-mounted carriers suspend the bicycle from the top tube of the bicycle frame. While these types of bicycle carriers function satisfactorily for many types of bicycles, many bicycle frames do not have a conventionally configured top tube, and are thus not well suited for use with this type of carrier. While a bicycle beam can be temporarily connected between the seat post and handle bar post to provide a member which can be engaged with this type of carrier in order to suspend the bicycle, this entails use of an additional piece of equipment which must be purchased and be kept at the ready whenever it is desired to transport the bicycle. Further, while this type of carrier allows the bicycle wheels to remain engaged with the bicycle, provisions must be made to minimize swinging or swaying of the bicycles during transport, by stabilizing the bicycles vertically above or below the point of engagement with the rack. Certain frame designs are not well suited for use with suspension-type carriers. A problem with gripping the frame is that the same fastener may not work adequately for certain frame geometries. Another problem is that some frame materials such as aluminum or carbon fiber may be susceptible to damage due to tight clamping forces.
Other types of bicycle carriers incorporate front and rear wheel trays that receive the front and rear wheels of the bicycle, in combination with a stabilizing member which engages a portion of the bicycle vertically above the wheel trays. Some designs provide such stability by engaging the pedal crank or one of the bicycle frame components, e.g. the down tube or seat tube. Prior art devices often employ types of binding devices that use straps and buckles to secure bike wheels to underlying support members so as to grip either or both the front and back tires.
There is a long-felt but unsolved need for a bicycle rack for a vehicle that provides a simple way for a bike owner to mount a ready-to-ride bike on his/her vehicle in a fashion such that one basic movement of a bike securing element is sufficient to retain the bike in a secure position on the vehicle. The ability to secure a bike to a vehicle without the need to address straps to engage one or more portions of the bike or its wheels has not previously been available. Nor has there been a system or method that permits a bike owner to place a bike in a stable pre-securement position on the top of a car and then make a single, easy movement of a pivoting member to simultaneously secure both tires of a bike in a fashion such that the bike is secured and ready for transport. Similarly, a method and system that allows for the removal of a bike that is secured to the roof of a car by merely pivoting one movable bike securing member, thereby releasing the bike from the engagement mechanisms of the bike carrier, thus permitting the owner to then simply lift and remove the bike from the car's roof, has heretofore not been available.